Name of Parish: Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish

Address: Don Lauro St., Levitown Estate, Brgy. Don Bosco, 1700 Paranaque City, Philippines

Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Eric P. Gonzales SHMI (Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate)

Diocese of Paranaque  Bishop Jesse Mercado

Vision and Mission:

We, the parishioners of Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish, envision ourselves as a Eucharistic community living in faith, hope and love, worshipping and breaking bread together in our new church, closely being with Jesus in His mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God, constantly formed and renewed by the Holy Spirit and under the guidance and motherly love of Mary Immaculate, our Patroness

Brief Profile of Parish Patron Saint: N/A

Youth Organization: Youth Ministry, YFC

          Other Orgs: Knights of Columbus, CFC, Handmaids of the Lord

Schedule of Services:

Masses:

Monday-Friday 7:00pm           

Saturday Morning: 7:00am

Saturday Evening: 5:45 pm and 7:00pm

Sunday: 7:00am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 5:30pm, 7:00pm

Feast Day: December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

Brief History:

          The Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish (MIQP), formerly known as Mary Immaculate Chapel (MIC), was part of Mary Help of Christians Parish, which is run by the Salesian Fathers. The process of creating a new parish, in view of providing a better spiritual service for the growing population of the place- at that time estimated at 15,000 faithful- was initiated by the Congregation of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate at the beginning of 2002. The project met with the blessings and support of the Archdiocese of Manila, represented by Bishop Socrates B. Villegas; of the PPLM District Bishop, our very own Jesse E. Mercado; and the Salesian Society of Don Bosco, with Rev. Fr. Gaudencio T. Carandang Jr as Parish Priest of MHCP and by Rev. Fr. Francis Gustillo as Provincial Superior. The process continued and prospered also after the creation of the Diocese of Paranaque on December 2002.

          In July 2003, Rev. Fr. Michael F. Mata SHMI, was appointed as chaplain. He is credited with the construction of the Fr. Frassinetti Hall, and the institution of the basic ministries and a regular sacramental life. For the record, the Knights of Columbus was the first organization established in the parish; their enthusiasm was a driving force for all other associations. In 2004, Fr. Saul P. Maquinto SHMI took over the position of Fr. Mata, and continued the development of ministries, movements, and pastoral work.

          The birthday of Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish was on December 7, 2004, with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Diocese of Paranaque and the Congregation of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate, and the proclamation of the Decree of Erection. The existing chapel, built a decade earlier with the generous contributions of the people, was to serve as a temporary church; in the meantime, plans for purchasing additional land for a new church and better facilities went underway. On January 7, 2007, Fr. Eric P. Gonzales, SHMI, a Paranaqueno by birth and heart, was appointed as parish priest. So dar, he has implemented a comfortable confessional room, the regular visit to the sick, and has established a Church Construction Committee

         

          At first, my relationship with the parish is an outcast because I have never been so close to my parish and my community. My chosen parish was not the place where we usually go to mass but I was only transferred there because our house was covered by its range. I was new in that parish and I don’t even know the people around me. People say that the parish priest is scary so I must follow everything that he says. So I started from scratch. First I questioned myself what is my relationship with the church?

 Growing from a catholic school, I learned so many things about religion. The church is the most sacred place for Christians but for me everywhere can be a sacred place as long as you have faith. The parish is not merely a place of worship but a place where the community gathers. Every Sunday we go to mass but we forget what we must cherish and that is the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Each and every member of the parish recognizes that the community is indeed a blessing form God. Some see it as their second family. Some see it as a source of joy.

          As time goes by, I have learned to interact with my fellow parishioners and somehow step out of my comfort zone in order to have a meaningful connection between me and my parish. 

Interview

 Name of Parish Organization: Youth Ministry and YFC

Name of the Interviewee and age: Mark Jason Rosal   19 Years Old

Number of Years in the Org: 4 Years

            I interviewed Mark Jason Rosal in a Saturday morning. I was to have a talk that day so while we are waiting for our fellow brothers and sisters, I asked him some questions. A brief background about him. Mark Jason Rosal had an older sister that led the youth ministry once. That responsibility was passed down to him because his ate is already working. At first, he didn’t want that responsibility because it is too demanding and has a lot of things to do. While he was in high school, he said that he had a dual personality. He was a bully in school and he was as good as a saint in YFC meetings. He couldn’t show what he is learning in YFC that time to his school because he has a reputation to save. He had an experience that his life becomes so miserable that he didn’t know what to do. His grades were low, he can be kicked out from his school, his parents is mad at him. His ate said to him to pray and that changed his personality from then on. YFC is a group of youth that specifically teach the ways of our Lord and shows how to serve with joy.

He is a college student from UST and his schedule is so hectic. I asked him the first question out of curiosity when he is saying his background. “Kuya bat sa sobrang busy mo, nagagawa mo pa itong mga bagay na toh?”. He laughed and answered “kasi masaya ako”. A follow-up question “Bat ka masaya?”. He answered “kasi masaya ako na tumutulong sa Diyos at kapag tumutulong ka sa Diyos, walang tama o mali, kung ano pwede mong maitulong iyon ang tatanggapin ng Diyos”. He serves the Lord with joy. He also answered that it is a stress reliever whenever he does something for the Lord. He is happy with the sense of family in his community in the church. The youth ministry is bonded like a family. He enjoys the presence of fellow youth that has a common goal and that is to serve the Lord. Next Question “Mahirap ba pagsabayin ang buhay parokyano ska buhay sa labas?”. He answered “sa simula talagang mahirap, hindi mo alam kung ano ang pipiliin mo, kung ang Diyos ba o ang sarili mo. Pero naging desidido ako nung pinasa sa akin ni ate ang responsibilidad na ako ay may tawag para makapaglingkod sa panginoon”.  Next Question “bat mo pinili itong org na ito?” (Specifically Youth Ministry and YFC). He answered “ Pinili ko ito dahil sa hindi ako napilitan kundi nalaman ko na ang lahat ay hindi kayang gawin ng tao. “God moves in mysterious ways ika nga nila”. “Ang ating parish community ay di pa gaanong malaki at puro matatanda ang mga tao sa ating simbahan kaya gusto naming maging involved ang mga kabataaan tulad mo”. He said that he wanted to join this organization because he wanted to bring back the youth since our parish is composed of old man and woman. To encourage the youth is a way to help the community grow and make a big family that include a large number of youth.

To sum things up, Kuya Mark is happy of what he does. He is pleased in serving the Lord and I said to him that even though my parish involvement is done, I would still give my time and effort in helping you and our parish to grow together.

Reflection:

          We make our own choices whether it is good or bad. It is not the quantity that counts but the quality. After interviewing Kuya Mark, I realized that we have a choice. We make our own fate and we choose to accept and to decline some responsibilities in life. That experience was something to cherish. To have a heart to heart talk is a start of something good in the near future. My life as a Christian is not yet that nurtured compared to Kuya Mark’s life. He dedicated himself although he was so busy in his personal life, he still finds time to visit the church. I realized that I lacked that urged and initiative to give my time and effort to the Lord. Serving the Lord is not by force but with joy.

 God moves in mysterious ways and sometimes the small things in life that comes to us are blessings in disguise so we must be thankful to God for everything that he gives to us. WE have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be used as witnesses not only where we are now, but also where we will be in the future. Like Kuya mark, he doesn’t mind whether he doesn’t finish his studies or homework which I admire just to give something for the youth and give example to them. I promised Kuya mark because I realized that his duty is so hard because he is already a college student like me. I promised him that I would continue my service not just for the grades but with the joy that brings to me whenever I think that what I am doing is good and it is for the Lord. God’s calling somehow touched me.

A Sense of Community

             Last August 14, 2010 the community hosted a “Binyagang Bayan” where every child in our community gets to be baptized. Many people attended to it especially our less fortunate brothers and sisters. The Youth Ministry assisted the parish church for registration, talks, maintaining order and giving free food for everyone. It turned out that it was not just a “binyagang bayan but it turned out to be a charitable works.

Reflection:

          Community is a place to grow. It builds our character as a human person. But what if you’re community is not present or not that active? In my community I’ve found out that it is not that active in a way that some people only go to mass in that church because there is the Mary Help of Christians which is bigger. The community where I belong to is strong and we are united by a common goal and that is for the love of God. This church involvement project opened my eyes and some other people the sense that we are not alone, we have other people to are willing to help us.

Church is nothing without the community. Many youth enjoy life being in the community because they feel that Christian life is an adventure. They actively participate in the activities in the community. We have seen countless lives being changed or transformed in the community. However, even though the nourishment we get from the community, we sometimes miss out our calling as part of the bigger family of the Catholic Church. We sometimes fail to affect the people that we go to mass with. When it comes to our life in the Church, we are merely Sunday Catholics. We are not just spectators in the church. WE ARE THE CHURCH. The beauty, liveliness and excitement of the Church depend on us. We, as a community, have an active role in its life and mission

To Wrap Things Up…

          Let me say this in a prayer,

Lord God,

          Thank you for everything that you have done for me and for my community. Thank you for giving me the strength to do this project. I merely gave up on this project because I can’t balance my studies so thank you Lord.Thank you for giving me this opportunity to have a sense of belongingness for me and my parish. TREDONE is merely a subject but a wake up call for me that there are people who devote themselves for the love of you my God. Thank you for the people who journeyed with me in this activity especially father Eric and Kuya mark. May you give them the strength that even though there are some people in the parish, may they have courage and don’t lose hope. We believe in you O God and I offer this project to you

                                                                                                          Amen

          This activity for TREDONE first term is the best thing that happened to me so far in my college life. There are more things to do and people to encounter but I will continue my service for me as a person and for my community to grow together so that God may be pleased. I do believe that God moves in mysterious ways and I am thankful that I may have touched the lives of others as well. As I continue my journey in this world, I will cherish this particular event or experience for the rest of my life.